NSW schools to get new curriculum - the first since 1989

A NSW school curriculum overhaul aims to equip students with skills to succeed in a technology-dominated world and will consider impacts on teacher workloads.

Education Minister Dan Tehan said the results were disappointing and schools needed to go back to basics. Source: AAP

Preparing NSW students for the unprecedented changes they face as a result of technology is at the core of the state's first curriculum overhaul in nearly three decades.

The state's entire curriculum from kindergarten to Year 12 is being reviewed to ensure it equips students with the skills to deal with rapid technological advances that are creating social and economic changes, the NSW government says.

The terms of reference, released on Saturday, say the review will consider the purpose of the school curriculum and how any changes will impact teacher workloads and assessments including NAPLAN and the HSC.

It will also look at individualised learning, easing the transition throughout schooling years and how to better prepare students for life after school.

NSW Education Minister Rob Stokes says detail, design and overcrowding in the curriculum will be reviewed to make it simpler to understand and teach.

The purpose of the review, which is the first in NSW since 1989, is to guarantee the education system remains able to produce "well-rounded" citizens equipped with the skills to thrive in the jobs of the future, Mr Stokes said.

NSW Education Minister Rob Stokes says the new curriculum will equip students to cope with technological changes. Source: AAP

"As we embrace new technology, we can deliver new personalised teaching practices to ensure students are prepared for a future that will be increasingly interconnected and complex," Mr Stokes said in a statement on Saturday.

The review, led by Professor Geoff Masters, will take into account and expand on the findings of businessman David Gonski's latest report into Australian school education.

Prof Masters says it will reform the purpose of education in a "rapidly changing world" and will help children become lifelong learners.

Catholic Schools NSW welcomed the review but said it must examine ways to make maths and science subjects more appealing and accessible to students.

"We need to improve the way we teach these subjects to address declines and maintain high participation rates, while ensuring rigour and confidence in the NSW curriculum," chief executive Dallas McInerney said in a statement on Saturday.

Professor Geoff Masters will lead the curriculum review. Source: www.teachermagazine.com.au

The 18-month review began in May this year with the terms of reference now agreed upon by key education groups.

The final report will be handed down at the end of next year.